Mazda has detailed the new Bose sound system developed specifically for the fourth-generation MX-5 Miata.
The audio technology was optimized for an acoustic environment that changes depending on roof position, posing particular challenges when the top is down and the cabin is filled with additional ambient noise.
Bose tuned the system with two different equalizer settings, one for open-air driving and another for top-up cruising. The audio company’s ‘AudioPilot’ tech monitors noise levels and provides an additional layer of active compensation for wind and road noise.
The separate EQ settings and AudioPilot technology have been used in existing vehicles, but Bose claims its new UltraNearfield speaker is an entirely new innovation that will make its debut in the new MX-5. Rather than using standard speakers in the headrests, Bose developed two-inch ‘nearfield’ drivers that allegedly improve performance when placed as a pair in each headrest.
“TrueSpace technology creates a wide sound stage, even though the speakers are just inches away from the listener,” the company nots. “The music envelops the driver and passenger, it’s spacious and natural, and remarkably, it doesn’t fade in the breeze.”
The four headrest speakers are paired with 6.5-inch drivers in each door, along with one-inch neodymium tweeters located in each A-pillar. Bass is delivered by a 5.25-inch woofer housed in a six-liter enclosure located under the front passenger footwell. All of the speakers are driven by a seven-channel amplifier tucked away in the convertible-top storage space.
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